Swimming Lessons
by RPGgirl514
Summary: "Chien-Po desperately clung to the post he had fallen from, the water lapping around his armpits, an expression of blind panic on his face." Chien-Po can't swim but he gets by with a little help from his friends. Takes place during the musical number "I'll Make a Man Out of You."
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note: One thing that bothered me about the movie was how during the musical number "I'll Make a Man Out of You", Chien-Po sings he wishes he knew how to swim. A short while later, we see him freely doing a cannonball into the lake. It doesn't seem like the actions of a man who doesn't know how to swim, so this seeks to explain that. Also, this was originally going to be a one-shot, but it ran long. Hope to have the next part up soon. Happy reading!_

* * *

"Back in formation, ladies!" barked Captain Li. Mulan gulped as she hurried to take her place beside Yao. The captain only called them ladies when he was exceptionally frustrated with their lack of progress.

"A soldier must be balanced," Captain Li said, pacing back and forth before them. His powerful voice was not loud, but it held the attention of the troops without effort. "Graceful. Poised." Mulan felt like she was back in the matchmaker's house, struggling to recite the Final Admonition.

"This exercise will teach the importance of being light on one's feet. If you fail, you will pay the price." The captain paused, allowing the subtle threat to set in. "It will also teach you the importance of relying upon one another. In battle, the soldier beside you is your lifeline. His mistake could get you killed, but his actions could also save your life, and vice versa. Likewise, in our scenario today, if one of you fails . . . those behind him will surely fail as well."

Captain Li gestured behind him. Lined up on shore, the shorter soldiers had to crane their necks to see. An obstacle course of sturdy posts had been strategically set up throughout the lake, in addition to one driven deep into the sand on shore. "You will start by balancing on this post," Captain Li said, slapping the post on shore. "From there you will leap to each consecutive post. You are to spend no more than three seconds on each post before moving on to the next. If you fall, you must return to this bank and begin again. Anyone who falls into the lake will be running additional laps when we return to camp. Are there any questions before we begin?"

When no one dared to speak up, the soldiers lined up to begin the course. Mulan found herself near the front of the line, dreading her turn, though clearly not as much as Chien-Po. He stood frozen in place in front of Yao, a sheen of nervous sweat coating his bald head and upper lip.

After her disastrous introduction to army life, Mulan had not drawn attention to herself again, speaking only when necessary. But from what Captain Li had said, this exercise would require them all to succeed, which meant Chien-Po's discomfort might directly affect her own progress, and she was already far too weak and sore from their grueling training regimen to be assigned additional laps.

"Chien-Po?" she asked hesitantly. "Are you alright?"

Chien-Po managed an unconvincing smile. "I'm fine, Ping."

He gulped as Ling, the first one in line, progressed from the shore post onto the next. He took a deep breath and released it to calm himself as he pulled himself up to balance on the shore post. Soon enough it was Yao's turn, then Mulan's. She made her second leap, windmilling her arms to stay balanced, when the first mishap took place.

In his nervousness, Chien-Po leapt to the next post without waiting for Ling to progress first, launching the slender man into the lake with a shriek. Chien-Po, realizing his mistake, froze on his post, causing Yao, who had no choice but to jump forward to avoid Mulan, to bounce off his backside and into the water. Despite Yao's short stature, the impact was enough to unbalance Chien-Po, and he teetered before falling in, causing an enormous wave to crash over the tops of the other posts, dragging Mulan and the two soldiers behind her down with it. By the time the water stilled and the drenched soldiers swam back to the shore to start over, grumbling, Mulan realized the source of Chien-Po's anxiety.

"He can't swim," she said softly.

Chien-Po desperately clung to the post he had fallen from, the water lapping around his armpits, an expression of blind panic on his face.

"He can't swim!" Ling cried. He took a step forward as if to wade back into the water and help his friend, but Captain Li threw out an arm to stop him.

"No! Leave him be. If he is to return to shore, he will learn."

Mulan gaped at her commanding officer. Surely he couldn't be serious. Chien-Po was clearly terrified. How was he supposed to learn how to swim while stranded in the middle of a lake? It was the most ridiculous thing she had heard out of the captain's mouth yet - though it didn't quite eclipse his belief that whoever retrieved the arrow from the post in camp would do so with heavy weights attached to each arm. _ Strength and discipline, my ass,_ Mulan thought.

But Captain Li was a man who would not be moved. He folded his arms and waited. Mulan had never felt quite so helpless.

Before she knew what she was doing, a fierce cry welled up within her. "You can do it!"

Ling and Yao and several other soldiers whipped their heads around to stare at her.

"Yeah, you can do it, Chien-Po!" called Ling, cupping his hands around his mouth.

It was Yao who started the chant - "Chien-Po! Chien-Po! Chien-Po!" - which was taken up by every soldier gathered at the water's edge. Mulan chanced a look at the captain - he seemed amused, almost . . . or was it proud?

The chant startled Chien-Po out of his panic, though he still seemed at a loss. "Kick and paddle!" Mulan shouted over the chanting soldiers. "Kick off to the next post, then paddle with your hands!"

With a determined expression and a faint nod, Chien-Po maneuvered himself around to kick off the post he was hugging and thrashed his arms awkwardly to reach the next. Luckily his powerful legs did most of the work He repeated the process until he had gotten close enough to shore to touch the sandy bottom with his toes. As Chien-Po emerged from the lake like a water buffalo, the soldiers on the bank erupted into cheers, pumping their fists in the air and punching each other on the arm as if to say, _"I knew he could do it."_

In the middle of it all, Mulan caught Captain Li smiling.

* * *

Mulan was eating her porridge the next morning when Yao and Ling dropped down on the bench on either side of her, their own bowls in hand. Chien-Po plopped down across from them, causing the three opposite him to briefly bump up off the bench with his weight.

"Good morning, Ping," Chien-Po said, inclining his head, though Mulan wasn't sure if it was out of courtesy or to get a better angle to scoop porridge into his mouth.

"Morning," Mulan said cautiously.

Chien-Po jabbed a spoon into his bowl. "It must be a special day indeed. Cook put raisins in the porridge." He scooped up one wrinkled jewel and held it up for her to see.

Cheeks full, Mulan nodded cautiously, glancing at Yao and Ling. They seemed to be intent on their breakfast rather than on tormenting her, so she relaxed slightly as she swallowed.

"Can I help you?" she asked timidly.

"You know, when we did laps in the lake yesterday, you were in the top third of the unit," Ling said casually.

_Was she? _Mulan hadn't noticed. She had become accustomed to her place in the back while running, jumping, fighting and shooting. She was one of the worst recruits, and she knew it. But she had grown up swimming in the lake just a short walk from her home - it just came naturally to her.

"So?" Mulan said. They couldn't be here simply to congratulate her - not these three.

"Well, during the obstacle portion, I'm sure you noticed -"

"Chien-Po can't swim," Yao interrupted. "He wants you to teach him."

"Me?" Mulan gaped at Yao, then Chien-Po. "But - you two can swim, can't you? Why don't you teach him?"

"I think what Yao meant to say was, 'Please, Ping, you are an excellent swimmer and we could all use a little help.'" Chien-Po regarded her with his small dark eyes, serene as ever.

Mulan considered it. This could work to her advantage - she needed allies in the unit, and this might be the catalyst to convince them to stop picking on her once and for all. On the other hand, swimming meant wet clothes and close quarters, which meant a higher likelihood her secret would be discovered.

Mulan stuck her hand out across the table, and Chien-Po enfolded it in his own. "I'll do it."

* * *

"This is the worst idea in all of China," Mushu declared once she was back in her tent that evening. He stalked back and forth over her pillow, brandishing a chopstick. "In the _history_ of China! No, in the history of bad ideas _and _China, this is the worst!"

"Mushu," Mulan said, rolling her eyes. "It will be fine."

"'Fine', she says," Mushu fumed to Crickee. "'Fine.' If this gets our little secret discovered, I will _not _feel bad, you feel me? Well, maybe a little bad," he relented. "But that doesn't change the fact that I _will _say 'I told you so', because I am telling you so now!"

"Alright, alright! I get it." Mulan finished rebinding her chest extra-tight and pulled on the light tunic she would be wearing during her late-night swimming lessons with the trio. They had precious little free time, and all she wanted to do was sleep. She was tired and sore, but hopefully the cool water of the lake would soothe her aching muscles.

Mulan slipped out of her tent, looking around cautiously as she sneaked to the water's edge. It wasn't expressly forbidden for the soldiers to be out after curfew, but Captain Li had strongly advised against it. Their camp was relatively remote and safe for the time being, but a Hun patrol could stumble upon them at any time, and they were ill-prepared for an ambush.

"Guys! Ping's here!" Ling said in a harsh whisper that carried. Chien-Po and Yao stood a few feet behind him, the water of the lake lapping over their ankles as they soothed their aching feet. Their voices were a low rumble over the soft hiss of rushes in the wind. They waded back up onto the bank to meet Mulan.

"We thought you weren't coming," Ling said when she approached the bank.

"I gave my word," Mulan said.

Ling shrugged, tracing a line in the sand with his toe. "We haven't exactly given you reason to trust us."

Mulan thought back on the hell they'd put her through in the past few weeks. "You're right," she said bluntly.

"But that's all in the past now," Chien-Po said, his voice even, but he gave Yao a pointed look. Yao grunted.

Mulan supposed that was as good as she was going to get. "We should get started."

They started by floating on their backs, which Ling was a natural at. Chien-Po sank like a stone the first few times he tried, snorting up lake water and coming up sputtering.

"Arch your back and keep your hips forward," Mulan said, observing their progress. Chien-Po was a willing student and a fast learner; before long he was propelling himself around like a water strider. Mulan looked toward the stars, gauging the time.

"We have a little time left," she said. "Now that you can float on your back, the next step is floating on your stomach. Take a deep breath and try it."

Though it was review for Ling and Yao, they complied, having a contest to see who could keep their face submerged the longest. Mulan worked with Chien-Po until Yao came up for air, red-faced and gasping. Ling surfaced a moment later and howled his victory, pounding his chest with his fists. Chien-Po did his best not to panic, but more than once he came up thrashing and terrified.

Mulan had an idea. She paddled to a stand of reeds and snapped one off, offering the hollow tube to Chien-Po. "Here, breathe through this," she said. "Then you'll only have to focus on floating instead of holding your breath."

Chien-Po took the reed gratefully and had a much easier time of it after that. Soon the moon was high over the lake, all four of them had wrinkled fingers and toes, and even the cool water wasn't enough to keep their tired eyes open.

"That's enough for tonight," Mulan said, calling an end to the lesson. "We'll pick it up again nightfall after next, if you're still willing."

They walked back to camp together - there was safety in numbers, after all. At the mouth of Mulan's tent, Chien-Po paused and bowed his head briefly. "Thank you, Ping," he said, and trotted off to catch up with Ling and Yao.

Taken aback, Mulan could only stare for a moment. "You're welcome," she called after him.


	2. Chapter 2

By their third lesson, Chien-Po had mostly overcome his fear of being in the water and was progressing quickly through the strokes she had to teach him. He was still struggling to learn what Mulan called 'The Lotus Stroke', which relied upon bringing one's hands together like a prayer before thrusting the arms up and outwards to propel the swimmer forward, all while ducking the head under the water. Ling especially had excelled under Mulan's tutelage, and now mostly showed off and offered moral support to Yao and Chien-Po.

In all other areas of their training, however, Mulan was falling behind. Staying up late several nights a week caused her sleep schedule to suffer, and most days she barely dragged herself through training. Though each day was a struggle, she took solace in the fact that the rest of the soldiers were going through the same thing. There was a growing kinship between them, a _we're all in this together_ mentality, a feeling that was even more pronounced during her lessons with Chien-Po, Ling, and Yao.

Mulan found herself enjoying the trio's company more and more as time went on, and their pranks now blurred the line between malicious and mischievous. During cannon practice, Ling slyly kicked out the supports beneath Mulan's cannon, forcing her to grab for it at the last second, but not before sending it on a path directly toward Chi Fu's tent. Mulan sustained tiny powder burns like deep black freckles over her hands and face, and try as she might, she couldn't scrub them away. Worse yet, Chi Fu knew _exactly _who to blame for the destruction of his tent, and shot withering glances her way every chance he got. Ling seemed to realize he had crossed an unspoken boundary, and apologized so profusely that night Mulan finally dunked him under the water to shut him up.

Captain Li had now started trainings at night, which meant swimming lessons had been put on hold. But after a particularly grueling session during which Yao had taken a flaming arrow to the buttocks, Mulan met the trio down by the water and stopped in her tracks. Yao had his trousers pulled down around his ankles, arms crossed over his chest, while Chien-Po dabbed a pungent paste onto his friend's left butt cheek. Yao gritted his teeth and hissed with each touch.

"Uh . . ." Mulan said. "You know, we don't _have_ to have a lesson tonight; I'm sure all of us could use some rest. I'm just gonna go -"

"Ping, wait! Stay," said Ling. "Please." It was starting to get annoying how apologetic Ling was after the cannon incident.

Mulan considered her options. It wasn't as if she had to _look_ at Yao. She nodded and came to sit cross-legged beside Ling. Pointedly looking out at the water, Mulan exhaled and closed her eyes. She felt more relaxed than she had in weeks.

"Ow!" bellowed Yao, and Mulan and Ling turned to look. The shorter man had leapt away, holding a hand firmly over his bare ass. "Thank you!" he growled at Chien-Po, yanking up the waistband of her trousers and stalking over to lie down on his belly beside the others, pulling fistfuls of reeds up by the bank to vent his frustration. Mulan and Ling glanced at each other and snickered. Yao didn't_ sound_ very grateful, but they knew better.

"What is that?" Mulan asked curiously as Chien-Po tucked the small pot of paste back into his pocket.

"A paste made from lavender, tea tree essence, and cypress oil," said Chien-Po serenely. "It promotes healing."

"That's amazing," Mulan said.

"It reminds me of home," said Chien-Po. Something in his voice was wistful.

Something occurred to Mulan. "Were you an herbalist? Before the army?"

Chien-Po nodded.

"I didn't know," Mulan said, shaking her head. It was hard to imagine any of them as anything but the context in which they had met. She looked around at Ling and Yao. "What about you two?"

"Bricklayer," Yao grunted. "Damn good one too."

"Yeah, except for when you were getting in bar fights," Ling muttered.

"Why don't you tell Ping what _you_ were doing before the army, then?" Yao said hotly.

Ling looked away, a flush creeping up his neck. "I was . . . unemployed," he muttered. "But it wasn't _entirely_ my fault! I mean, how was I supposed to know the _beautiful_ woman I was wooing was the boss's wife?"

"Maybe the fact that she was _in the boss's office_ should have been a clue!"

Despite the softness of his voice, Chien-Po easily spoke over the bickering pair. "What about you, Ping? What was your trade before the war?"

"Me? Oh, uh . . ." Mulan wracked her brain for the most plausible occupation she could think of. She remembered waking up the day the notices had arrived, eating a leisurely breakfast of rice porridge and taking notes on the inside of her forearm. "I was a scribe."

Ling and Yao whistled as one. "A scribe!" said Yao. "I suppose you think you're hot stuff, then."

Mulan shook her head vigorously. "N-no -"

"You mean like Mr. 'My-Face-Looks-Like-a-Baboon's-Rear-End?'" Ling crowed, referring to Chi Fu, and the three men roared with laughter. Mulan smiled, but it quickly faded. Thinking of her life before brought back thoughts of home . . . and her father. It seemed the conversation had a similar effect on Ling.

"I wasn't even supposed to _be_ here," he said, his earlier mirth forgotten. "The conscription notice has my older brother's name on it, but he's . . . he's sick. Maybe dying. I couldn't let him go."

"It is a brave thing, then, what you've done by coming here," Chien-Po said solemnly.

Mulan teetered on the edge of revealing too much. Keeping her secret had become a blurred line in the time she spent with Chien-Po, Ling, and Yao. The decision was made for her, however, when Yao turned to her and said, "Oy, Ping, wasn't your da some kind of war hero?"

She nodded and looked down at her hands. "He was injured during his time in the army, but he was determined to keep me at home . . . keep me safe. I stole the notice from his bedside and rode out in the night." That was close enough to the truth. She was surprised to feel Ling's hand on her shoulder.

"We'll bring honor to our families, Ping," he said reassuringly. "We'll make 'em proud."

Yao's voice cut over the still surface of the water. "Oy! Are we gonna swim, or what?"

Ling jumped up immediately and splashed through the shallows. "Last one in's a pickled duck egg!"

Mulan smiled.

The moon had already nearly reached its zenith by the time the four returned to camp, shaking water out of their ears. The silhouette of the post that rose from the center of the camp struck them, and they paused to gaze up at it. The arrow embedded at the top was barely visible in the darkness.

"Do you think anyone will ever get to the arrow?" Mulan asked.

The question quieted them all, and no one answered.

As they headed off to their tents, they didn't notice their commander on the ridge overlooking the camp, watching everything.

* * *

Several days later, the squad set off at dawn on a grueling ruck march over the rough terrain surrounding the Wu-Zhong camp. Less than an hour into the march Mulan knew this might be her last day in the army. Wheezing, she fell steadily behind until she was trailing the group by a full furlong. Her muscles cramped until no matter how much she willed them to move, they just would not obey. She fell to her knees, the staff bearing her gear clattering to the ground. Mulan's stomach roiled, and she retched up her breakfast before passing out.

She roused briefly as the weight of her burden was lifted from her, and she lifted her head to see Captain Li stacking her gear over his own, his expression grim. Her cheek was sticky with half-digested porridge, her entire body coated with dust and dried sweat. But no matter how bad her physical discomfort was, nothing could be worse than the look Shang had given her. It haunted her even as she lost herself to oblivion once more.

"We can't just leave him there," Ling protested when they had finished their march and returned to camp. He was bent double, supporting his hands on his knees, which were as wobbly as limp noodles.

"We have to go back," Yao agreed. "Ping would do the same for any of us."

Chien-Po nodded, looking over his shoulder. "We mustn't be seen. I believe the Captain wished to teach Ping a lesson."

"That's insane," said Ling.

Privately Chien-Po agreed. It was far too similar to the lesson he himself had been expected to learn during their first post-jumping exercise in the lake.

The sun had long since dipped beneath the horizon by the time they set on the same track they had taken that morning. No sooner had the camp disappeared behind the shadow of the ridge did a thoroughly downtrodden Mulan come around the corner, dragging her feet.

"Ping," Chien-Po said, his soft voice echoing down the canyon.

Mulan glanced up briefly. She wanted to cry, but she didn't. She swallowed down the burning in the back of her throat and fixed her eyes on her toes as she pointedly made to go around her friends. She didn't trust herself to speak. She couldn't look at them, afraid to see the disappointment she felt so keenly upon their faces. She had let them down, and she had let herself down. And maybe that was the worst of it.

Yao caught her arm before she could pass them. She looked back at him expectantly. He felt like a dog that had chased its tail and finally caught it - to his surprise. Yao said nothing.

"We came to make sure you were alright," Ling said. "Captain rode you hard today."

Mulan managed half a smile. After all, they had come back for her. "Don't worry about me."

Mulan had few belongings to pack up in her tent, but she folded everything as neatly as she could, rolled up her sleeping mat, and gathered up her father's armor. It would be for the best if she were to return home just as she had left - in the middle of the night. She emerged from her tent and nearly plowed into Captain Li. He wore the same inscrutable scowl as he handed her the reins.

"Go home, Fa Ping," Captain Li said. "You're unsuited for the life of a soldier."

Khan whuffed as Shang walked away. Mulan caught a glimpse of the post in the center of camp as she turned back and paused. _Why not?_ she thought. _What do I have left to lose?_

She tied Khan's reins to a tree and picked up the weighted medallions at the base of the pole.

* * *

Mulan rode the heady rush of victory into the next week. After her success in retrieving the arrow, she found herself newly respected among her peers - even Captain Li looked at her differently. His expression often held a certain awe, as if he were proud of how far she had come. It was a look that caused Mulan to blush whenever he glanced her way, much to her chagrin.

With this renewed confidence, Mulan reached a turning point in her training. Her achievements were contagious - the other soldiers saw her progress and realized they, too, were capable of more. Their drills began to repeat - dodging flaming arrows, cannon practice, fishing with their bare hands - and as such the dreaded post-jumping balance exercise was scheduled once more.

The night before, Mulan met Chien-Po down by the water. "Are you nervous?" she asked.

Chien-Po shook his head, smiling. "Not anymore."

Mulan grinned and thought she felt a bit of what the Captain must feel when he looked at her. "Then tomorrow will be just like tonight. We're all behind you." She paused. "Speaking of which, where are Ling and Yao?"

"They drew extra kitchen duty," Chien-Po said. "Recruit Qiu happened to comment on your delicate features, and Yao took it upon himself to rearrange Qiu's face."

"And Ling?"

"Ling held him down."

"Oh," Mulan said, frowning. "They didn't need to do that."

Chien-Po shrugged. "It is how they show they care. Fortunately, you and I are above such displays of masculinity."

Mulan nodded as they waded into the water. Before they began warming up, however, the rustle of clothing and loud footsteps drew their attention. Mulan plucked a reed from the shoreline and thrust it into Chien-Po's hands, shoving his head under the water. It was a mark of how far he had come in their lessons and how thoroughly he trusted her that he did not resurface, breathing through the reed. Mulan splashed her way back up onto the bank just as Chi Fu came into view. He stopped dead.

"I should have known it would be you," he sneered as he closed the distance between them.

Chi Fu's fingers, cold and cruel, clamped down on Mulan's forearm so hard she stifled a gasp. She'd have bruises tomorrow.

Chien-Po broke the surface of the lake after it stilled and watched Chi Fu drag his friend back to camp by the arm. Ping had known exactly what being caught would mean - a visit to the captain's tent - and had taken the fall for him. Now all of Chien-Po's friends were in trouble of one sort or another, and he was powerless to help them. All he could do now was continue what the four of them had started. Chien-Po made his way to the first post, where the exercise would start, and pulled himself up on top of it.

He jumped.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's note: Surprisingly enough, Mushu has been the hardest character to write in this fic._

* * *

Chi Fu kept a rigid hold on Mulan's arm as he dragged her back to camp. It wasn't long before they were standing before the captain's tent.

"You've been nothing but trouble since the day you rode in here, _Fa _Ping," Chi Fu hissed, exaggerating her surname. "If your father knew the way you've conducted yourself -"

"That's enough," Captain Li interrupted. He cut an imposing figure, framed against the tent flap with his arms folded over his chest. Mulan gulped. If Captain Li was involved, she was done for.

The three of them went inside. Captain Li walked around the other side of a low-bellied table, upon which was a map depicting the Tung Shao Pass, complete with small figurines in varying colors.

"Release him," the captain said. His tone brooked no argument. Chi Fu sneered and complied. "Explain." Shang fixed his dark eyes on Chi Fu.

"I found this recruit down by the lake," Chi Fu said quickly, eager to tell the captain _what a bad boy_ Mulan had been. "He was outside camp, past curfew. If he was seen by the enemy, he could have brought the entire Hun army down upon us!"

Captain Li arched an eyebrow. He looked almost _bored_. "He could have," Shang acknowledged, "but he didn't."

Chi Fu faltered. "But - but -"

"Also, though his actions may have been reckless and unwise, there is no formal regulation that recruits must stay within the camp perimeter, nor is there a curfew in effect. For those who choose to stay awake after dark, fatigue during the following day's training is hardship enough."

"But he must be _punished_, Captain!" Chi Fu protested.

"_Furthermore_, if I am to punish Fa Ping for being down at the lake after dark, I should ask _you_ how you came upon him in the first place, if you were so diligently observing these guidelines yourself?" Captain Li said pointedly. He paused as if waiting for a response, but Chi Fu said nothing in his own defense. "If Ping were to encounter a Hun by the water's edge, I have complete confidence that he would be more than capable of subduing any threat to our camp. You, however," Shang's voice went dangerously soft, "I'm not so sure."

Chi Fu's face was blotchy and the ends of his mustache twitched as he shook with suppressed anger. He opened his mouth, undoubtedly to give Captain Li a piece of his mind, but everyone present knew the captain had already won.

"You're dismissed. Ping, a word please."

Chi Fu's gaze flickered between them. "The General will hear about this," he said stiffly before ducking out of the tent.

It was a long moment before the captain spoke. Mulan tried not to fidget.

"On that first day, I was certain I would have to send you home, Ping," Captain Li said. "I hoped I was wrong - after all, you _are_ a war hero's son. I grew up hearing stories of the legendary Fa Zhou. He and my father trained together; did you know that?"

Mulan unstuck her tongue from the top of her mouth and shook her head. "My father doesn't talk much about the war."

"I almost didn't believe you could be related," the captain said, picking up a miniature tent figurine and turning it in his fingers. "But then you retrieved the arrow. I told you to go home, Ping, but you refused to give up. You're more like your father than I thought."

Mulan flushed with pride. "Thank you, sir."

"I'm pleased with your progress. And I know you took it upon yourself to teach the other soldiers how to swim. That is why you were at the lake tonight, correct?"

Mulan nodded. "Sir -"

Shang cut off her excuses. "I can't help the recruits individually as much as I would like, so I am grateful that you are helping each other. You're going to need to rely on each other. If you think what I'm putting you through is hard, it's _nothing_ compared to what is waiting for us on the battlefield." He paused. "With that said, though his reasons are questionable, Chi Fu is right. I don't need my soldiers taking unnecessary risks and getting picked off in the middle of the night."

"Do you want us to stop our swimming lessons, sir?" Mulan asked, puzzled.

Captain Li shook his head. "No. Just be more careful, Ping. You're dismissed."

Mulan wasn't sure exactly what had just happened, but she knew that Chi Fu had come off far worse than she had tonight. She wasn't about to press her luck, not with the captain's favor of her still so tenuous, and even that wouldn't save her should he discover her true identity.

The cool night air felt refreshing on her skin as she left the tent, and as wrapped up as she was in her own thoughts, Mulan didn't realize Chi Fu was still nearby.

He came up on her suddenly and grabbed her wrist before she could pull away. "You may have gotten off easy this time because you're the captain's favorite, but mark my words, you'll get what's coming to you. I swear it." Chi Fu's breath stank of cabbage and vinegar.

Mulan narrowed her eyebrows. "You heard the captain. Release me."

With a curl of his lip, Chi Fu dropped her wrist and stalked away. Mulan let out the breath she had been holding. She would have to be extra careful now that Chi Fu had truly become her enemy.

* * *

Later, Mulan lay wide awake in her tent. She knew she needed to rest up for the tasks that awaited her the next day, but she couldn't shake the thoughts that tumbled through her head like acrobats performing during _Chūnjié. _Her conversation with the captain and Chi Fu replayed in her mind, and each time the memory of Chi Fu's fingers closing around her arm and the threats he whispered in her ear made her shiver with revulsion. If Mulan was being honest, she was frustrated with herself. She was a _soldier_, and yet that skinny, evil bamboo pole had reduced her to a cringing fool.

Mulan slept fitfully that night. She dreamt that Chi Fu discovered her secret and cruelly revealed it to the entire company. She felt sick as one by one, Chien-Po, Yao, and Ling - the men she considered her friends - turned and walked away. The disappointment and betrayal on their faces was far worse than any physical pain she had endured. Mulan watched her captain raise his sword over her neck, and awoke with a start just before the blade swung down. Disoriented, Mulan thrashed around, throwing the threadbare blanket off as sweat cooled on her skin.

"Wha- who's there?" Mushu said as he jerked awake. The tent was still dark until Mushu huffed and ignited a candle. The tiny flame flickered over Mulan's pale face. "Mulan? What's the matter?"

She took a deep breath to calm herself. "Sorry, Mushu. You can go back to sleep. I - I just had a nightmare, that's all."

Mushu ducked his head out of the tent flap and groaned. "Not worth it, sister." The glow of sunrise was already upon the horizon. He dropped the flap and turned back to where Mulan was shakily pulling on her training uniform. "What sort of nightmare? Mine are always about going to school naked, or destroying the Great Stone Dragon - you know, no biggie."

"Huh?" Mulan hopped around on one foot, pulling on her boat-like shoes. "Oh - the usual. Someone finding out about me. You know."

"Come on, Mulan," Mushu said reassuringly. "There is no _way_ I'm gonna let that happen! Trust me!"

Mulan made a noncommittal noise in her throat and pulled up her hair into a topknot. She sat cross-legged in the center of her tent and breathed slowly. Back home, she hadn't had the patience to meditate, but now, with the bustle of army life weighing her down, Mulan approached it with a new respect. She opened her eyes.

"Today's the day," she said. "The final post exercise. I'm nervous - but not for me, for Chien-Po. He's come so far in our lessons, but it's always different with the captain watching. I mean, _no one_ can get their eyes to smolder like that naturally." Mulan smiled, lost in thought, no doubt about the captain's _gorgeous_ smoldering eyes. "Sometimes when he looks at me it's like he can see right through me. You know?"

"Hormones," Mushu said darkly, jabbing one clawed finger at her. "You keep those under wraps until this war is over, you hear me? Do not pass _Go,_ do not collect 200 _wu zhu_, do not imagine your commanding officer naked! Look what happened to Rome. One day - the height of modern civilization, then _boom!_ All because those generals couldn't keep it in their pants."

Mulan gave him a dirty look. "Mushu!"

"All I'm saying is we don't need your _little crush_ complicating things."

Mulan threw her pillow at him.

* * *

Chien-Po was conspicuously quiet that morning, even more so than usual. Mulan could hardly eat, her stomach sour with trepidation. Yao kept sneaking glances at her meat-filled dumpling - a special treat - until she finally sighed and pushed it across the table to him. His face lit up, but before he dug in, he hesitated. The unspoken question hung in the air - _why?_

Mulan heard what he didn't say. "Thank you," she said, with a nod to Yao and Ling. "You didn't need to beat up Qiu for me."

"Sure we did," Yao grunted, and tucked into the dumpling. "Besides, if you'd been there, you woulda done it yourself."

"You're one of us, Ping," Ling said. "It's what friends do."

_Friends. _That single word seemed to lessen the dread in her belly and carried her through the rest of the unbearable breakfast before they all headed down to the water.

"Single file, soldiers!" Captain Li barked. The soldiers approached the bank with some apprehension. To Mulan's shock, Chien-Po had boldly taken his place at the front of the line, his jaw set with steely determination. She leaned around the man in front of her to see more clearly as her student pulled himself up on the first post. Her heart fluttered.

"Begin!" called Captain Li, and Chien-Po leaped - landing on the next post with a grace that belied his size.

Emboldened by his newfound skill, Chien-Po sprang to the next post, grasping it with his hands, then perching on the next like a dancer on his toes. The soldiers waiting for their turn gasped in appreciation as Chien-Po cartwheeled through the obstacle course until he reached the other side, where he spread his arms wide and bowed deeply, a proud smile upon his face. Those on the opposite bank burst into wild applause.

Mulan, a few posts behind Chien-Po, jumped off the final post to stand beside him. She was grinning so wide her face hurt. "You did it!" she said, slapping him on the shoulder (by this point, she had gathered this was an acceptable way to express congratulations among the men).

"I could not have done it without you. Here," Chien-Po said. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a small bundle and offered it to her. Puzzled, Mulan brought it to her nose and sniffed. It had a pungent, fresh scent. "It's a poultice, for sore muscles. I know training has been hard on all of us, but especially you."

"Oh, Chien-Po, you didn't have to-"

"And you did not have to teach me how to swim," Chien-Po interrupted, though his voice was soft. "Thank you, Ping."

Mulan felt a curious swelling in her chest. She tucked the poultice safely into her uniform and smiled as Chien-Po walked away. No matter what happened - if her nightmares did, indeed, come to pass - Mulan knew she wouldn't be alone. Her friends would stand with her.

* * *

_Chūnjié - _literally "Spring Festival", a term for the festivities surrounding the Chinese New Year

_wu zhu_ - coin minted and used during the Sui Dynasty (581–618 AD), during which the film is set


End file.
